In 2011, when the Army Materiel Command officially transfers its flag from Fort Belvoir, Va., to its brand-new headquarters on Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville will become home to the state's first four-star general and command.

In the case of AMC - led now by Gen. Ann Dunwoody, the Army's first female four-star - it's going to be like having a top-50 Fortune 500 company and CEO move operations here, said retired Col. John Olshefski.

"Everything in our Army - you eat it, you drink it, you move it, you shoot it - it's all under AMC's purview," said Olshefski, a former Redstone Arsenal garrison commander recently elected to Huntsville's District 3 City Council seat.

AMC, which is bringing more than 1,350 jobs here under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision, acquires almost everything the Army uses, from helicopters and missiles to socks and beans.

"The budget is enormous, and it's going to be controlled on Redstone," said Joe Ritch, a local attorney and chair of the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee.

AMC works with an annual budget of more than $49 billion, according to a spokesperson, and that would put the command at No. 42 on the Fortune list if it was a private company.

Decisions made by the AMC commanding general are of a scale that hasn't typically been seen here, Ritch said.

"The four-star will have a lot more impact on what the Army budget operations look like," he said. "If a four-star wanted it here, it would be much more likely to occur."

All that means Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville can expect a lot more attention, Ritch said. Previously, with relatively few soldiers going in and out, many people weren't aware of the major, cutting-edge research, development and program management work done here. Having "arsenal" as a last name didn't help that.

With Dunwoody and AMC here, people from many other parts of the Army, and more high-ranking officers and officials, will be coming through, Ritch said, "so the exposure will go up significantly."

That can't hurt as the area prepares for the next round of BRAC decision-making, he said.

Other traffic should increase, too, Olshefski said. Small, medium and large companies were going to Virginia to do business with AMC.

"Guess where they're coming now," he said.

He pointed out that the Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command, or AMCOM, that has been on Redstone for years, is a two-star headquarters under AMC and is a huge economic engine for the area. AMC has many other such subordinates elsewhere, such as the Tank-Automotive Armaments Command and the Communications-Electronics Command.

"The AMCOMs, the TACOMS, the CECOMS, they all work for this four-star, who is now in Huntsville," Olshefski said.

There could even be an impact on local air fares and schedules, he said, because everybody in the Army with AMC business - and with subordinate and support commands, depots and more, that's a lot - all fly to the home headquarters some time.

That could, in turn, affect the rental car companies, hotels, restaurants and so on, he said.

"Being a city council guy, I'm hoping that it brings a lot," Olshefski said.

Ritch pointed out that, though it wasn't mandated by BRAC, the Army Contracting Command is also moving its headquarters to Redstone Arsenal. He expects that having the AMC and its high-ranking leadership here will lead to more of those kinds of decisions.

Though the four-star general will be the highest ranking officer on the arsenal and "senior mission commander," Dunwoody isn't expected to become the installation's commander, Ritch said. The plan is that she will designate that the commanding general of AMCOM will continue to be the official "face" of Redstone Arsenal, as has been the practice for years.

Presently, that is Maj. Gen. James Rogers, who assumed command from retiring Maj. Gen. James Myles earlier this year.

AMC's complex national and international role means Dunwoody and her successors will spend much of their time elsewhere, Ritch said.

"We have been told we will probably not see the four-star that regularly around and about town," he said.

When here, she'll have a residence on the arsenal. Ten houses were built for general officers over the last few years, Ritch said, and she'll be in one built specifically for the staffing and other needs of a four-star general.

"I think this is going to be very exciting," he said of the moves. "We're going to look very different."

2011, when the Army Materiel Command officially transfers its flag from Fort Belvoir, Va., to its brand-new headquarters on Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville will become home to the state's first four-star general and command.

In the case of AMC - led now by Gen. Ann Dunwoody, the Army's first female four-star - it's going to be like having a top-50 Fortune 500 company and CEO move operations here, said retired Col. John Olshefski.

"Everything in our Army - you eat it, you drink it, you move it, you shoot it - it's all under AMC's purview," said Olshefski, a former Redstone Arsenal garrison commander recently elected to Huntsville's District 3 City Council seat.

AMC, which is bringing more than 1,350 jobs here under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision, acquires almost everything the Army uses, from helicopters and missiles to socks and beans.

"The budget is enormous, and it's going to be controlled on Redstone," said Joe Ritch, a local attorney and chair of the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee.

AMC works with an annual budget of more than $49 billion, according to a spokesperson, and that would put the command at No. 42 on the Fortune list if it was a private company.

Decisions made by the AMC commanding general are of a scale that hasn't typically been seen here, Ritch said.

"The four-star will have a lot more impact on what the Army budget operations look like," he said. "If a four-star wanted it here, it would be much more likely to occur."

All that means Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville can expect a lot more attention, Ritch said. Previously, with relatively few soldiers going in and out, many people weren't aware of the major, cutting-edge research, development and program management work done here. Having "arsenal" as a last name didn't help that.

With Dunwoody and AMC here, people from many other parts of the Army, and more high-ranking officers and officials, will be coming through, Ritch said, "so the exposure will go up significantly."

That can't hurt as the area prepares for the next round of BRAC decision-making, he said.

Other traffic should increase, too, Olshefski said. Small, medium and large companies were going to Virginia to do business with AMC.

"Guess where they're coming now," he said.

He pointed out that the Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command, or AMCOM, that has been on Redstone for years, is a two-star headquarters under AMC and is a huge economic engine for the area. AMC has many other such subordinates elsewhere, such as the Tank-Automotive Armaments Command and the Communications-Electronics Command.

"The AMCOMs, the TACOMS, the CECOMS, they all work for this four-star, who is now in Huntsville," Olshefski said.

There could even be an impact on local air fares and schedules, he said, because everybody in the Army with AMC business - and with subordinate and support commands, depots and more, that's a lot - all fly to the home headquarters some time.

That could, in turn, affect the rental car companies, hotels, restaurants and so on, he said.

"Being a city council guy, I'm hoping that it brings a lot," Olshefski said.

Ritch pointed out that, though it wasn't mandated by BRAC, the Army Contracting Command is also moving its headquarters to Redstone Arsenal. He expects that having the AMC and its high-ranking leadership here will lead to more of those kinds of decisions.

Though the four-star general will be the highest ranking officer on the arsenal and "senior mission commander," Dunwoody isn't expected to become the installation's commander, Ritch said. The plan is that she will designate that the commanding general of AMCOM will continue to be the official "face" of Redstone Arsenal, as has been the practice for years.

Presently, that is Maj. Gen. James Rogers, who assumed command from retiring Maj. Gen. James Myles earlier this year.

AMC's complex national and international role means Dunwoody and her successors will spend much of their time elsewhere, Ritch said.

"We have been told we will probably not see the four-star that regularly around and about town," he said.

When here, she'll have a residence on the arsenal. Ten houses were built for general officers over the last few years, Ritch said, and she'll be in one built specifically for the staffing and other needs of a four-star general.

"I think this is going to be very exciting," he said of the moves. "We're going to look very different."

﻿

Associated PressObservers say having Gen. Ann Dunwoody and the Army Materiel Command headquartered at Redstone Arsenal in 2011 will be like bringing a top 50 Fortune 500 company to the community.

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- In 2011, when the Army Materiel Command officially transfers its flag from Fort Belvoir, Va., to its brand-new headquarters on Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville will become home to the state's first four-star general and command.

In the case of AMC - led now by Gen. Ann Dunwoody, the Army's first female four-star - it's going to be like having a top-50 Fortune 500 company and CEO move operations here, said retired Col. John Olshefski.

"Everything in our Army - you eat it, you drink it, you move it, you shoot it - it's all under AMC's purview," said Olshefski, a former Redstone Arsenal garrison commander recently elected to Huntsville's District 3 City Council seat.

AMC, which is bringing more than 1,350 jobs here under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision, acquires almost everything the Army uses, from helicopters and missiles to socks and beans.

"The budget is enormous, and it's going to be controlled on Redstone," said Joe Ritch, a local attorney and chair of the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee.

AMC works with an annual budget of more than $49 billion, according to a spokesperson, and that would put the command at No. 42 on the Fortune list if it was a private company.

Decisions made by the AMC commanding general are of a scale that hasn't typically been seen here, Ritch said.

"The four-star will have a lot more impact on what the Army budget operations look like," he said. "If a four-star wanted it here, it would be much more likely to occur."

All that means Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville can expect a lot more attention, Ritch said. Previously, with relatively few soldiers going in and out, many people weren't aware of the major, cutting-edge research, development and program management work done here. Having "arsenal" as a last name didn't help that.

With Dunwoody and AMC here, people from many other parts of the Army, and more high-ranking officers and officials, will be coming through, Ritch said, "so the exposure will go up significantly."

That can't hurt as the area prepares for the next round of BRAC decision-making, he said.

Other traffic should increase, too, Olshefski said. Small, medium and large companies were going to Virginia to do business with AMC.

"Guess where they're coming now," he said.

He pointed out that the Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command, or AMCOM, that has been on Redstone for years, is a two-star headquarters under AMC and is a huge economic engine for the area. AMC has many other such subordinates elsewhere, such as the Tank-Automotive Armaments Command and the Communications-Electronics Command.

"The AMCOMs, the TACOMS, the CECOMS, they all work for this four-star, who is now in Huntsville," Olshefski said.

There could even be an impact on local air fares and schedules, he said, because everybody in the Army with AMC business - and with subordinate and support commands, depots and more, that's a lot - all fly to the home headquarters some time.

That could, in turn, affect the rental car companies, hotels, restaurants and so on, he said.

"Being a city council guy, I'm hoping that it brings a lot," Olshefski said.

Ritch pointed out that, though it wasn't mandated by BRAC, the Army Contracting Command is also moving its headquarters to Redstone Arsenal. He expects that having the AMC and its high-ranking leadership here will lead to more of those kinds of decisions.

Though the four-star general will be the highest ranking officer on the arsenal and "senior mission commander," Dunwoody isn't expected to become the installation's commander, Ritch said. The plan is that she will designate that the commanding general of AMCOM will continue to be the official "face" of Redstone Arsenal, as has been the practice for years.

Presently, that is Maj. Gen. James Rogers, who assumed command from retiring Maj. Gen. James Myles earlier this year.

AMC's complex national and international role means Dunwoody and her successors will spend much of their time elsewhere, Ritch said.

"We have been told we will probably not see the four-star that regularly around and about town," he said.

When here, she'll have a residence on the arsenal. Ten houses were built for general officers over the last few years, Ritch said, and she'll be in one built specifically for the staffing and other needs of a four-star general.

"I think this is going to be very exciting," he said of the moves. "We're going to look very different."